Representative Edgar Raymond Kiess

Edgar Raymond Kiess (August 26, 1875 – July 20, 1930) was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania who served in Congress from 1913 until his death in 1930. Over the course of nine consecutive terms, he represented his Pennsylvania constituents in the House of Representatives and contributed to the legislative process during a significant period in American history, including World War I and the early years of the Great Depression.

Kiess was born on August 26, 1875, in Warrensville, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. He was educated in the local schools and pursued teacher training at the Lycoming County Normal School in Muncy, Pennsylvania, from which he graduated in 1892. Following his graduation, he taught in the public schools of Lycoming County for two years, gaining early experience in public service and community life in rural Pennsylvania.

In 1894, Kiess left teaching and entered the newspaper publishing business in Hughesville, Pennsylvania. His work in publishing brought him into close contact with local affairs and public opinion, helping to establish his reputation in the region. By 1910 he was engaged in business in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, further consolidating his ties to the economic and civic life of Lycoming County. His growing prominence in local business and community affairs laid the groundwork for his entry into state and national politics.

Kiess began his political career at the state level as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, in which he served from 1904 to 1910. During these six years in the state legislature, he developed legislative experience and political connections that would support his later congressional career. In addition to his legislative work, he served as a trustee of Pennsylvania State College (now Pennsylvania State University) from 1912 to 1930, reflecting his interest in higher education and public institutions.

In 1912, Kiess was elected as a Republican to the Sixty-third Congress, taking office on March 4, 1913. He was subsequently reelected to the eight succeeding Congresses, serving continuously from the Sixty-third through the Seventy-first Congresses. As a member of the House of Representatives, Edgar Raymond Kiess participated actively in the democratic process, representing the interests of his Pennsylvania constituents during a period marked by major national and international developments, including the Progressive Era reforms, American involvement in World War I, and the onset of Prohibition.

During his later years in Congress, Kiess rose to positions of greater responsibility. He served as chairman of the House Committee on Insular Affairs during the Sixty-ninth, Seventieth, and Seventy-first Congresses. In that capacity, he helped oversee legislative matters concerning United States territories such as Puerto Rico and the Philippines, playing a role in shaping federal policy toward these insular possessions at a time when questions of colonial administration and territorial status were of growing importance.

Edgar Raymond Kiess’s congressional service continued uninterrupted until his death in office. He died on July 20, 1930, at his summer home at Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania, while still serving in the Seventy-first Congress. His death placed him among the members of the United States Congress who died in office in the first half of the twentieth century. He was interred at Wildwood Cemetery in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, closing a career that spanned local business, state legislation, educational trusteeship, and more than seventeen years in the U.S. House of Representatives.